It doesn’t always require a mythological monstrosity or Great Old One to inspire fear. A GM can use real creatures of nature to play upon the psyche of the players. Here are my top five real world creatures I use play upon fears in my players; and, through that, their characters. Because these are real world creepy-crawlies and nightmarish beasts, it’s important that GMs know their players and can anticipate their reactions, so to invoke their fear during the game session, but not take any fear or paranoia home with them.
Spiders
I know more people who are afraid of spiders than who aren’t. They show a more visceral reaction to these eight-eyed, eight-legged creatures than other arachnids, including the scorpion. Even without making them giant, having characters stumble into a sea of webs or a nest of spiders can spark a visceral reaction in the player that, more often than not, translates to their character actions. A player’s panic can lead to a character’s panic and short-sighted thinking.
Bedbugs
It can take the merest mention of bedbugs to get peoples’ skin crawling with phantom itches. Especially as the insects are becoming more and more prevalent and pervasive, these blood-suckers can take on a lasting fear in the players’ minds. People may have different reactions to their bites, so inflicting these parasites on characters can allow the GM to add penalties to character actions due to poor sleep, constant itchiness, or painful swelling where they were bitten. Because bedbugs are so tiny, this could lead to players thinking their characters are cursed or a somehow fighting something more otherworldly than a standard pest.
Rats
In the minds of many, rats are synonymous with the unclean and disease. Their sheer numbers, alone, can give a person (or character) pause. Because of their size, there are many ways to make their presence unsettling such phantom tapping (caused by rats scurrying in unseen places); being watched by their beady, red eyes in a darkened environment; or spotting a “river” of running rats. Describing environments populated by rats can disquiet players and they may have sudden reactions when a rat falls onto their character. (I usually try to stay out of panicked punching distance.)
Snakes
“Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” All it can take is a single (hidden or played over speakers) rattle when characters are walking in a wooded area to, well, rattle their nerves. Their venom and speed, combined with their often camouflaged presence can make any player anxious. And, of course, in great number, an NPC can always ask, “Why is the floor moving?”
Alligators (& Crocodiles)
Apex predators that haven’t changed that much since their primeval origins, alligators and crocodiles are dangerous on both ground and in water. They’ve been known to eat sharks, they hiss, and alligator attacks on the rise even in the real world. There’s little about these creatures that isn’t scary and they’re one of the few larger, dangerous animals that players don’t take as pets–and not just because reptiles of that size can’t be trusted.
Runner-Ups
They don’t make my “top five,” but other real life creatures that can be put to good use unnerving both players and their characters include: roaches, ear wigs, hornets, jellyfish, squids, and the just plain weird looking (Cracked article, some profanity).
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